Today we bring you the review of the newest Coupang TV series Family Matters starring the ever so incredible Bae Doona and a lot of blood so beware.
I love Bae Doona. I think she’s such a unique actress who always tries to experiment with her roles, bringing something different than everyone else and that’s why it’s always a joy to watch her movies and shows. I’ve grown to really love her since Stranger (where she’s just amazing), and have tried watching all of her work post-Stranger as well, including Kingdom and The Silent Sea. When I saw that she would be having a new short drama about a found family with supernatural abilities, I knew that I would be watching it and binging it as soon as possible. Followed by a great cast, Family Matters really brings all the blood to the front but combines it with a sense of belonging and fighting for those you love. Let’s review.
Summary via MDL: A group of people possessing special abilities disguise themselves as a family to survive against heinous criminals. Han Yeong Su is a loving mother with a special ability. Baek Cheol Hui is a father who hides his special ability. He has a timid personality, but he loves his wife, Yeong Su, a lot. Baek Gang Seong is a grandfather who shows an abrupt manner, but he cares for his family a lot. Baek Ji Hun and Baek Ji U are 17-year-old brother and sister. Ji Hun has a warm and gentle personality, while Ji U is picky and sensitive.
No major spoilers ahead:
If you have a day or two off, I think Family Matters will be a great choice to binge as it only has 6 episodes. Bae Doona always has the most unique roles, and Family Matters is just another addition to her already amazing opus. The series is a tiny bit confusing to understand right off the bat, so make sure to really follow the plot and the flashbacks to the main characters’ past as it plays a vital role in all of this. I think the suspense and the intrigue of Family Matters was really great – you keep pressing play on the next episode because you just need to know what happens next and who is behind some of these arising problems. The cast is fantastic, Bae Doona is supported by the talented Ryu Seungbeom (anyone up for a Moving rewatch?), Lomon, Baek Yoonshik, and a very promising young actress Lee Suhyun whose role in Family Matters is her debut one! The chemistry between everyone in this lovely, but tormented found family was great and I really loved the family aspect of the show. It’s definitely the strongest element of it, the power and light behind all the pain, and the biggest motivation for the main characters to keep going.
I mentioned in the introduction that Family Matters really does serve a lot of blood on a silver platter, so be mindful of some actual gore that the drama includes considering Bae Doona’s character Yeongsu performs some very interesting (and deserved) torture on the bad guys. Yeongsu was such an interesting character for me – someone who carries a lot of pain and trauma with them, but someone who is also a lot more emotional than others think. Her ability is also intriguing, definitely harming her own mind in the process and ironically makes her seem more humane to me. I also loved seeing how her relationship with the kids manages to progress and develop in just a few short episodes – we have to thank grandpa the legend for that honestly.
I feel like you should watch Family Matters without any spoilers because it’s short enough to keep your attention and with enough interesting plot twists that will make for a thrilling ride. I’m sure you’ll be able to guess who the main villain is early on, but I wasn’t expecting to have so many people on the bad side throughout these 6 episodes so it was rather exciting to see how the family takes care of everything. Expect a lot of violence, blood, and action, as well as some genuinely horrible people on your way to the final episode. On that note, the final episode was probably my favourite as it really tested everyone’s abilities and the love they have for their family, truly bonding them forever.
I can’t say that Family Matters is my favourite drama ever, nor that it brought something we have never seen before, but it’s an interesting one, albeit short. I’m not sure if they’re planning to do a second season (which would make sense) but I feel like the drama needed a few more episodes to make us connect with the characters even more and add some more depth to the story of the past and how they managed to get to their present point. I enjoyed it because Bae Doona was made for roles like this one, but I do think there were some aspects of the storytelling that could’ve been done better. Family Matters gets an 8/10 from me, and I’d gladly watch the second season if they decide to film it!
Header Image Source: Coupang TV